Unicorns Aren't Girly
by PhantomMemories
Summary: College AU: College is the time when many young adults break away from family, and learn how to live with others. Alfred and Arthur might not survive living with each other for a month, never mind a year. USXUK Summer camp 2012 'Something There' prompt


College, a rite of passage for some, for others a time of experimentation, and yet others just another step in the process to a profession- for young adults, it can be experience in socializing apart from family for the first time. Many stay on campus, and unless a student has specifically requested a single room or specific roomate, freshman year can be the best year of one's life- or it can be a living hell.

Dormitories, Alfred decided immediately upon arriving on campus, were the best invention since he hamburger. What else was a way to get away from parents (nice as they could be, but still- they were his _parents_) and siblings (Matthew refused to live with him for some reason, not that it bothered Alfred much, Mattie tended to give things away to aforementioned parents if it might be something they wouldn't approve of), party, meet new people, and stay close to the labs and libraries that he might need to get his homework done.

Yeah. Dormitories were fantastic.

Sure, the rooms themselves were small- especially when you took into account that there would be two people living in that space for months on end with all of their various necessities. Alfred could deal though. It wasn't like he was going to be there all the time...

One step into the room with his first bag, and Alfred almost changed his mind.

His roomate had gotten there first.

The bunk beds weren't an issue. He had no problem sleeping on the top bunk, even though it was about four feet from the ceiling. (not like he was planning on standing on his bed or anything.) The window gave a great view of the campus, and Alfred could feel the breeze blowing from where his roomate had opened it to let the crisp fall air in.

The problem started with the door, and ran all over the room to hit the windows, on which a lacy flowing curtain wafted in the breeze. And the floral patterned comforter on the lower bunk.

Lace and flowers. In a guy's room.

Second, there was very little room for him to hang his football banner or the star charts on the wall near his desk because of the enormous (framed) poster of a unicorn- which took up most of the wall space on one side. And the trinkets on one desk; unicorns and fairies, and was that a pegasus?

It matched the markerboard on the door, which had a glittery unicorn on one side with the name 'Arthur' neatly written across the top.

"I didn't know Arthur was a girl's name." Alfred made the mistake of saying aloud.

"It's not." A voice from behind him said with ominous tones.

"Er..." Alfred turned to find the owner of said voice standing behind him, messenger bag slung across his body. Scruffy blond hair, green eyes. Then made his second mistake of the semester. "Nice eyebrows."

Everything went downhill from there, and by the end of the day, Alfred was looking for the Resident Assistant to find out about swapping rooms.

"Sorry, man." The RA told him, leaning out of his own (Single room- Lucky. Maybe Alfred should apply-) "You have to wait a month before you can change rooms. Give it a chance. If it's not working by then, and you've found someone else to move in with, we can fill out the forms and move you around."

"But he's insane- How am I going to survive for a month with him?" Alfred almost wanted to call his parents, but he was in college now, and he needed to prove he could do this on his own.

"It's the first day, Alfred. There's nothing I can do yet. Have you tried talking to him?"

All of Alfred's pleas fell on deaf ears from that point on. So much for 'assistance'. At least classes started tomorrow, and he could stay away from the frilly room with its batshit insane decorator for at least a few hours. Most of the day, if he hit the library, and maybe started checking out the social scene.

Yeah. Maybe this could work. He'd hit the books, and try to forget that he was sleeping in a room that any twelve year old girl would be delighted with.

Two weeks went by with classes, homework, and arguments with Arthur over stupid things- the way that Alfred had left his socks all over the floor. The hotpot of noodles that Alfred had forgotten about for three days when his football teammates had invited him out to have pizza with them at the last minute. How messy and unorganized Alfred was. The way Arthur would talk to himself, and 'accidentally' lock Alfred out when he was in the shower when Arthur went to class. How often Arthur seemed to be yelling at Alfred for moving something that he knew he hadn't touched. How much of a picky neat-freak Arthur was.

Their fights were approaching legendary by the end of that two weeks, and it was obvious that the RA wanted to separate them, but had his hands tied.

Then came the turning point.

Alfred had been spending extra time in the lab, trying to keep up with his homework- it was nearly midnight by the time he returned to the dorm, only to find Arthur sleeping outside their room.

Arthur's head was tilted back against the wall, and he snored softly, textbook only held open by his slack hand. It featured a prominent picture of a famous tapestry involving a unicorn and a maiden- (Alfred recognized it only because of a required art history class in high school, but considering his roommate's obsession with them... he wasn't surprised Arthur was looking at it.) Arthur's messenger bag was sitting next to him, as though he'd not even bothered to go into their shared room before he'd fallen asleep studying in the hall.

Alfred was tempted to leave him there, but as he was blocking the door, there really was no choice.

"Arthur." Alfred tried to keep the volume down- he didn't need to be yelled at for waking the other people on this floor up again. "Arthur, wake up."

"It's ok flying mint bunny- the unicorn can carry both of us." Arthur answered- or at least that's what it sounded like. "Into battle we go-"

Alfred tried to keep from giggling. He'd never really paid attention to what Arthur muttered when he was sleeping (mostly because he was trying to sleep himself). Despite the irritation, his roomate was actually... kind of interesting. Why did he have that thing about unicorns anyway?

"Arthur?" Alfred ventured to touch his roomate's shoulder to shake him awake. He needed to go sleep before class, and he was certain that Arthur needed to sleep in an actual bed, lest he be bitching all day tomorrow about how his neck was cramping.

The next thing Alfred knew, he was flat on his back in the middle of the hallway with a panicked looking Arthur on top of him. One hand was at Alfred's throat, and the other was drawn back in a fist.

"Arthur?" Alfred croaked, hoping that the blond was actually awake, and wouldn't start beating him in the hallway for touching him.

"Alfred?" Arthur blinked, the panic slowly dissipating and a deep blush and chagrin taking it's place. "Sorry- Sorry- I didn't -"

"Could you get off of me?" Alfred managed, trying to focus on breathing himself. "And we can go inside and talk about this before you kill me?"

"You have your keys?" Arthur scrambled off of Alfred, not looking at him as he picked up the book and a few scattered papers. "I... lost mine."

"You lost yours?" Alfred got the door open, and flicked on the light. Arthur's keys were sitting on Alfred's desk. He could see the bright hot pink keychain from the door. "They're on my desk."

"Oh!" Arthur dove past Alfred to pick them up. "I must have... when I was putting the mail on your desk-"

"You forgot them." Alfred offered.

"I –erm..." Arthur stammered a bit, but didn't say anything else.

"Just like you forgot that I was in the shower Thursday when you went to class." Alfred started putting pieces together. "You're not a neat-freak because you're an anal-retentive English asshole who has an undying affection for mythological creatures. You have to have things in their place, because you'd forget where you put your own head if it wasn't attached."  
"Sh-shut up." Arthur's face was bright red. "My memory isn't that bad."

"Just for little things like keys and pens, and stuff." Alfred frowned, "And the Unicorns are part of your major. But what was that about in the hallway? I only touched your shoulder."

"I grew up with three older brothers, and... it's a long story, and not one that I'm... really comfortable sharing with someone I barely know."

"And it's after midnight." Alfred glanced at his alarm clock. "We have all year though, if … "

"I thought you were going to move after the month was up."

"I was, but I don't know now. We should maybe talk this weekend- over coffee or something?"

"I prefer tea, and stuff that is not flavoured with that vile noodle concoction that you left for me last week."

"Yeah. Mattie'd agree with you on the 'vile' part. He's my brother- and I know it's late, but I'm sorry. So. Sleep on it, and you can maybe tell me why Unicorns aren't girly this weekend."

"You're on."

The morning after that night of revelations was quiet.

For the next two weeks, those who lived near the two were surprised at the sudden bouts of harmony (and peals of laughter) coming from that room. Not that they didn't occasionally fight, but there was just an obvious change in the way they treated one another. Instead of complaints, there were wicked grins. Instead of spending all of their time in laboratories and libraries, there was time spent studying within their own dorm.

The RA wasn't surprised when Alfred didn't come back to ask for a change of rooms.


End file.
